The Inspirium

About this Site

Without a global revolution in the field of human consciousness, nothing will change for the better - Vaclav Havel

This website is dedicated to helping all of us to see more than we currently see. When we recognise the plasticity of our brains, we can learn throughout our lives. The content is adapted from Integral theory, but is heavily adapted in an effort to reach as many people as possible. Many writers on Integral matters present material in a way that is too complex for most of us.

The author, John Greenhalgh, has an underlying social deficit stemming from childhood, but paradoxically this equips me to connect interpersonally on a very deep level. It's what I'm most passionate about. If there is a purpose to life, I believe it lies in identifying our unique gifts and qualities, and offering them in service to the world. If you feel you'd like to connect, or discuss anything, you can find me by searching on Facebook (though my photograph there is different). You'll need to send me a message on Facebook to see some of my posts there. Also please note that I'm not a psychologist, nor do I have formal qualifications in the areas discussed on this site.

The site arose out of personal explorations over a number of years, in the areas of philosophy, religion, science, and even interpersonal and relating skills. In seeking to understand, the thought arose that others might find what I learned helpful. The assistance of many friends and acquaintances, most of them wiser and smarter, was an indispensible part of the process. I owe all of them the deepest gratitude.

This site is first and foremost about expanding your awareness - in the service of the highest good, truth and beauty that humanity can aspire to. It's the most exciting journey I can imagine, and the adventure is certainly assisted by increasing our self-honesty. Every one of us has 'shadow', areas of ourselves that are outside our consciousness but are visible to others. This shadow frequently interferes with our interpersonal communications, but what we see is that it is other people (and the world generally) that have the problem.

As we learn to see more clearly, the world increasingly becomes a place of radiance, of love and joy, and I wish this for everybody.

Additional Thoughts

The following are ideas from earlier times, dating back as far as 2003. When it seems to be a priority, I'll summarise or delete them. A key philosophy of this site is to be as concise as possible (but not more so!)

The drive to understand the human condition has been with us since humans first walked on Earth. And, since the dawn of the universe, and thoughout all of history, the only constant has been evolution. Though some will want to introduce God, this need not deny that evolution (as one of the manifestations of what they call god) is what gave rise to life and consciousness. Both have the amazing, even astounding, capacity for infinite growth and adaptation.

Life is a process of continuous change. We call it evolution. And human beings are the only creatures that can actively participate in that developmental process because we are the only ones who possess the kind of consciousness that allows us to reflect on our actions and their consequences, and the only creatures capable of imagining a better future. Further, unless we play our part, we are actually forces of regression, destructive to the world and to life. Instead, we can live to our potential by continuously growing towards a more enlightened way of being - and in the process our lives will be far richer and more rewarding. The truth is that, as responsible and awake human beings, we really have no choice. And this process is not some esoteric and self-indulgent way of escaping from the world, but rather being more fully in the world, and of contributing to the unfolding process.

This site proposes that by understanding ourselves and evolution (these two combined represent 'conscious evolution') we have the means to live collectively in new, exciting and more peaceful ways. Until now, with extremely rare exceptions, almost all humans have lived our lives in a limited state, in partial awareness, functioning largely automatically. If we are fully conscious and use our consciousness, we cannot help but become more active participants in the continuing unfolding of the universe, instead of a restraining force that engages in the destruction of our planet and which frequently acts to negate the essential life force present in every one of us.

This site distances itself from all ideologies and belief systems, other than living consciously and the need for continuous unfolding.

Much of the material here is derived from the extensive work of Ken Wilber, but his work is necessarily complex in the interests of accuracy. Sometimes this site errs on the side of simplicity, in the interests of making the material more comprehensible. Because of that, direct reference to Ken's work, and that of other integral thinkers is highly recommended. Nevertheless, this site's material comes from many varied sources acquired over a lifetime, and I've striven diligently not to mislead.